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Blyth - Answered a Question by rowe (11 Feb 08 10:08)

We have had 3 cruises calling in at the part for Rome and on the last one we did not go into the Eternal city having had 2 previous visits, but I think a must for a first visit. You can do your own thing and go in by fast train or book a tour via your ship and go in by coach and be given a tour about first before being dropped off to do your own thing.

The weather will be getting very hot in Rome then but it is a must. I would not bother with the Vatican or the museums because by then the queues will be enormous and you will spend most of your time waiting. Plan a trip by going by train to Termini, the main station, then use the underground to Piazza di Espagna see the Spanish Steps, walk down Via Condotti then turn left to the Trevi Fountain, go back and on to see the Pantheon then keep going to the Piazza Navona, catch a bus or walk to the Monument to Victor Emmanuele and go around to the back and up into Capitaline hill and from there you can look out right over the Forum. If you still have the energy at the end of the Forum is the Coliseum and from there you can get the tube back to Termini station. Take plenty of water with you although the fountain water is all drinkable but be very aware of pickpockets, they are around especially where it very crowded or your attention is distracted……great city so full of history that you can almost feel it….Id.

If there are 10 of you going on the Rome trip then the total cost of the ships tour could be eye watering! The trains are cheap by comparison and it takes about an hour from Civitavecchia to Rome but first you have to get to the station. There is usually a shuttle bus from the ship to the dock gates (for safety reasons as it's a freight port as well) then you have about a 10 minute walk to the station. Check on www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html for train times as they are roughly one an hour. Don't leave it too late coming back as the ship won't wait for you if you are delayed. The train we went for was cancelled and the next was packed solid and very hot.

Here's our experience. We got out the ship when they allowed, around 7 or so. There was an empty shuttle that will take you to the gates. We knew it would be difficult getting the 8:02 train. But luckily, there was a driver and he took us at around 7:45. From the gates it's about 10 mins walking (to the left of the gates). But since we still have a few mins left, we ran our way to the train station. The tickets they they gave is a BIRG ticket, good for the entire day, rail and bus and trains. We stopped at the stop for St. Peter's. and proceeded to see the cathedral. Still early, crowd hasn't gathereed (this is in November, in the summer, it'll be different, busier). Then headed for the St. Peter's museum. I would not want to miss this. IT'S AMAZING. A long line to wait. BUT, we had made reservations for a tour with the Vatican, check their website, and it cost about twice what it would cost to do it on your own. MINUS the lines. We proceed to the front of the line with the golden ticket!.. Once inside, it was a commotion. Lots of ppl everywhere. We then just purchased the regular tickets and took the regular tour. (Only because no one knew where the tour would meet). The musuem is really something. VERY crowded but very worth the time. After hitting both of this sites, we asked around for bus ride to Fontana Del Moro. Luckily we found a local who was heading that way on the bus. From the fontana, you can hit the major site, trevi, the big round dome with a hole on the top, shops, spanish steps, etc etc. After that, we took the train to the colesium, and visited the ruins next to the colesium. Just saw the col. from outside as we were running out of time at this point. It is a very ambitious plan, but with careful planning and a bit of luck, it's doable. Be sure to leave plenty of time to get back to the ship. Make sure you have the ship's contact info for Rome. If you ride the subway, be VERY CAREFUL of pick pockets. Practise the usual safety precautions or you will lose something along the ride! From there head to the Termini and catch your train back. The termini serves as the regional trains as well as local subway station. From the subway station, it's about a good 5 - 10 minutes walking to the regional train, so please plan accordingly. You may also factor in an extra 5 - 10 mins, as it may be a bit confusing figuring out where to go. This was one stop that ppl we asked didn't know where to tell us to go! Finally we saw signs. Also, another helpful hint would be to know the train numbers. We saw lots of signs, but only with train numbers and not destinations. I think at the end we matched the train number and headed to that platform. Other ppl, saw signs of destinations, maybe we panicked and blinded. Good luck.
Google Rome for a good map.